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Zilla temperature control

Discussion in 'Skulls and Skeletons' started by hairy perch, Jan 22, 2014.

  1. Jan 22, 2014 #1
    hairy perch

    hairy perch New Member

    1,423
    1
    Winder GA.
    For all you folks that use the zilla controller,have you had much trouble with them. I have had one for 1 1/2 years in one tank. In the other I have gone through 2 in the last 6 months. The socket where I screw the heat bulb in always seems to get fried then melts the back of the bulb, and then locks the controller so it will not come back on. I called zilla and they are going to send a new unit, but that does not solve the problem since it will not get any higher than 35 degrees for the next couple of days
     
  3. Jan 23, 2014 #2
    Sea Wolf

    Sea Wolf Well-Known Member

    13,609
    1,774
    Taxachusetts
    If you look on Amazon for them, there seem to be a fair number of complaints about them and them failing. Are you using a ceramic socket for the bulb?
     

  5. Jan 23, 2014 #3
    Kurt27

    Kurt27 Member

    192
    1
    pennsylvania
    I had one for 4 yrs and it finally quit working, bought 2 more and got less than 2 months out of both and the one cost me an entire colony of bugs during that real cold spell we had. I called Zilla and they said they would replace both but I'm not sure I want to have another, I can't risk another colony.........
     
  6. Jan 23, 2014 #4
    hairy perch

    hairy perch New Member

    1,423
    1
    Winder GA.
    Sea Wolf; yes I used the ceramic socket, also used the plastic one last time and I blamed it on the plastic socket, not the controller. Do you have any suggestions for another controller that might work better?
     
  7. Jan 23, 2014 #5
    Sea Wolf

    Sea Wolf Well-Known Member

    13,609
    1,774
    Taxachusetts
    I can't, no, but there are others who probably can chime in. I only have a small colony in a glass fish tank and I keep it in the house where heating is not much of an issue.
     
  8. Jan 24, 2014 #6
    RWOOD

    RWOOD New Member

    241
    0
    Texas
    I lost a whole colony to a zilla due to it not shutting off while using a heat lamp. It cooked my colony. I still use the zilla but me ceramic fixture that I use also has a plug in. I use a small ceramic heater with its own internal thermostat for heat. The zilla calls for the heat, and the heater supplies it. Ones the heat reaches the level I set on the heater it shuts off no matter what the zilla says.
     
  9. Jan 24, 2014 #7
    greatbasin

    greatbasin Member

    127
    0
    Idaho
    Try one of these...

    [​IMG]

    Inexpensive and higher quality than Zilla brand
     
  10. Jan 24, 2014 #8
    hairy perch

    hairy perch New Member

    1,423
    1
    Winder GA.
    greatbasin;
    I looked that one up. Where is the plug in for the heat lamp. All I see is some type of connection for a heat pad
     
  11. Jan 25, 2014 #9
    greatbasin

    greatbasin Member

    127
    0
    Idaho
    Left hand side, botom of the unit is where you plug in your fixture. The thin cord is the temp probe and the other is the power cord